Let It Go
by SourCherryJuice
Summary: It's been years since the darkness of the Holocaust, and Ludwig has yet to truly forgive himself for allowing it to happen. Maybe with help from a forgiving Feliks, he can finally let go of the past. A respectful chat between nations, human names used


Ludwig heaved a heavy sigh, unable to pry his eyes up from the cracked, worn bricks beneath his feet.

He had no idea what he was doing here, nor what mysterious, unknown forces had drawn him back to this dark, low place after all these years.

Yesterday's meeting had taken place in Warsaw, and though Feliks had done nothing to push him, anytime he set foot on Polish soil, Ludwig found himself inexplicably, unwillingly drawn to this place.

Feliks had let it go, moved beyond the past. Feliks had forgiven the unforgivable, and he was that much better off for it. His future shone bright, while Ludwig was stuck wallowing in the shadows.

Why couldn't he just move on?

Inhaling a deep, calming breath, Ludwig finally managed to look up, his eyes immediately locking onto the sign above the massive iron gate: Arbeit Macht Frei. Labor makes you free.

Truer words had never been spoken. At least, that's what Ludwig had believed when the gate had gone up. He had been there, in the presence of some of his nation's most powerful leaders the day it had been erected. Labor had, after all, been paramount in the construction of this place. Labor had kept him from thinking about what had been going on at the time, kept him quiet and in his place.

And yet, for all the work that Ludwig had done to reconcile the past, he had yet to feel the freedom that he felt he had earned.

Millions of lives had been lost, and despite the near-immortality of being a nation, Ludwig couldn't help but feel that he would never be able to atone for the sins of those dark, dark years. He deserved to suffer for it, to suffer for each and every man, woman and child who had perished. Criminals were punished for their crimes; why shouldn't he be punished for what he had allowed to happen?

It was more than an allowance, to tell the truth. At the time, Ludwig had truly believed that Hitler would be the savior of the German race.

He had thought-

"Abeit macht frei?"

That voice was all too familiar, proud and carefree, echoing brightly against the crumbling walls of the camp, completely out of place.

"I never really understood that," Feliks said, flashing Ludwig a brilliant grin when he stepped up to his side. "If you're laboring all the time, how are you free? Unless you're one of those weirdoes who actually like working!"

Hesitantly, Ludwig smiled. To go through what Feliks had gone through, and to come out as bright and lighthearted as ever... It was nothing short of amazing.

"Propaganda, huh?"

That smile brightened just the tiniest bit before Ludwig wholeheartedly agreed, "It must be."

"You look upset," Feliks said next, his smile faltering into oddly childlike concern. "How come?"

"Just thinking."

"About?"

No answer came.

Sighing, Feliks followed Ludwig's line of sigh back to the gate. "You know I forgive you, right?" Feliks said, his voice soft, respectful. It didn't suit him. "I forgave you forever ago."

"That doesn't change anything," was all Ludwig had to say, his eyes going glassy, unfocused. Were those tears? Nah, couldn't be. Ludwig was too tough to cry. "I'm partially to blame for what happened. I did nothing to stop it. All I offered was encouragement." He sighed, his gaze dropping to the ground once more. "I encouraged a terrible crime, Feliks. There's nothing that can ever change that."

For a long moment, Feliks was silent, emerald eyes downcast. When he finally spoke again, his voice was whisper-soft: "Forgiveness is everything. It really oughta count for something. But you gotta forgive yourself first."

All that got was a raised eyebrow.

"Just let it go," Feliks continued, a soft smile spreading warmth over his face. "The past is the past, you know? And if you're looking back all the time, how can you expect to move forward?"

There was the ghost of a smile at the edges of Ludwig's lips when he asked, "You really believe that, don't you?"

"Yep!" was the emphatic reply.

Ludwig could do nothing to stop the ensuing chuckle form escaping his lips. "You're really something, Feliks..."

"So are you!"

Ludwig looked a bit affronted by that, his brows creasing into that ever-present scowl.

"You hold onto the past for so long," Feliks said, a rather incredulous look on his face. "It's not healthy, you know."

"I suppose not," Ludwig agreed, albeit reluctantly.

There was another moment of silence before Feliks blurted out, "You know what we're gonna do?"

"What's that?" Ludwig asked, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer or not.

"We're gonna go drinking together!" Feliks announced to the world, to the walls of the camp, uncaring of the echoes piercing the silence that had gathered, thick and heavy, around them. "If you can't let go, we'll just hafta get you so drunk you don't remember it at all!"

Another chuckle later, Ludwig willingly allowed Feliks to lead him away from the gate to the camp, moving from the darkness of the past to the light of the future.

And who really knew? Maybe with help from his once-victim, Ludwig might finally be able to forgive himself and let go of the past.

If Feliks could do it, so could he. 


End file.
